Automatic train-stop.



W. H. WENTLING.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1916.

1,220,482. Patented Mar. 27, "1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- W. H. WENTLING.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1916.

1 20,482. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Elwumtoz WILLIAM H. WEN TLIN Gr, 0F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN -$TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 191?.

Application filed June 10, 1916. Serial No. 102,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WENT- LING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Stops, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automatic train stop devices and particularly to that class of devices wherein an actuating member, by the setting of a signal to danger is projected into such a position that it will operatively engage a vent valve in the train pipe of an air brake system and set the brakes.

One of the general objects of my invention is the provision of a simple and novel means to this end which may be easily applied without changing the ordinary and usual semaphore signals and the operating means therefor and which is adapted to be operated by the motor which in standard railway signal systems actuates the semaphore arm.

A further object of the invention is to provide a positively operated mechanism to this end which is not dependent upon springs or like devices but which, when the semaphore arm is set at danger it will be positively operated into a projected or operating position and which will be positively retracted to an inoperative position when the semaphore arm is set either at caution or safety.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of this character which will have few parts and these of such simplicity as to minimize the danger of the apparatus getting out of order, and further to provide a construction of this character which will act to stop a train by venting the air brake system when the semaphore signal is set to danger or in case the operating mechanism of the signal be broken or the conductors leading to .the signal operating mechanism be grounded or broken.

A still further object is to provide an improved valve carried on the engine and adapted to control the venting of the train 1 e. p ther objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the general arrangement of my mechanism in connection with a railway track and showmg diagrammatically a locomotive with my valve applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism showing the actuating member 13 projected and engaging the vent valve lever;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view partly broken away of the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, the top 11 being removed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the slide 18 and one of the side walls of the casing 10;

Fig. 6 is an inner face view of oneof the sections of the valve casing with the valve in place; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the valve casing.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section through the top portion of the slide 18, showing the member 13 in elevation.

Referring to these drawings it will be seen that my mechanism includes a casing 10 which is approximately rectangular in form which is disposed exteriorly to one of the rails A of the track and is mounted upon the ties B. The casing is preferably provided with a cover 11 which is detachably connected to the casing in any suitable manner and which is formed with an opening 12 through which a vertically disposed train pipe valve actuating member or plunger 13 is passed. This member 13 at its upper end has a transversely extending head 14 and at its lower end is formed with a transversely extending base 15.

As is seen from Fig. 3, the bottom wall of the casing 10 extends horizontally to a certain distance and then downward as at 16, and formed on the side walls of the casing 10 are the downwardly extending spaced guide ribs 17 forming inclined guides for a slide 18. This slide, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is approximately triangular in vertical section and is formed on its side faces with the grooves 19 which receive the uppermost guide rib 17, the lower corners of the slide resting upon the lowermost guide rib 17. This construction provides for a very easy and certain movement of the slide upon the guide ribs and eliminates any chance of binding. formed with a T-shaped slot 20 which, as

I, illustrated, extends nearly the entire length The upper face of the slide is of the slide and which is adapted to receive the foot or base 15 of the member 13 so that the slide may move longitudinally without shifting the member 13 longitudinally with it. Attached to the slide 18 at one end is a cable 21, which passes out through an opening 22 in one end wall of the casing 10.-

Attached to the opposite end of the slide is the other end of the cable 21. This cable 21 extends laterally through certain guides, as will be later described, and over certain actuating mechanism as will be later stated. Preferably the opening 12 is provided with a gland 23 or stufling box. which is preferably made so that its degree of engagement with the member 13 may be adjusted and preferably the interior of the casing 10 is filled with oil so that all of the parts may move in oil and thus friction is reduced to a minimum.

As illustrated, the box or casing 10 is provided at its sides with lugs 24 by which the box or casing may be attached to the longitudinally extending supporting strips 25 in turn mounted upon the ends of the ties B, these supporting strips being in turn attached to the ties. It is obvious that other means for supporting the casing may be provided for.

Disposed opposite the track is the usual signal mast or post 26 which may be of any suitable construction, which mast carries at its upper end the semaphore arm 27 mounted on a shaft 28, this arm being operatively connected to suitable electrically actuated operating mechanism including the shaft 28. The shaft 28 may be extended, and mounted upon this extension of the shaft is a band wheel 30 or like device so that when the shaft is actuated to rotate the semaphore arm from a safety to a clanger position, it will always rotate the band wheel 30 to exactly the same degree as the semaphore arm is rotated. The cable 21 passes out at one end of the casing 10 and after passing through suitable pulleys is carried up the mast 26 and over the wheel 30 and then is carried down the mast and passes over suitable pulleys and into the opposite end of the casing 10. It will thus be seen that a rotation of the band wheel 30 in one direction will cause the upward movement of the slide 18 along the track 17, thus raising the member 13, while a reverse movement of the band wheel will reverse the movement of the slide 18 and cause the retraction of the member 30.

For the purpose of guiding the cable 21 outward through the opening 22, I provide an elbow 31, within which is disposed a pulley 32 at the junction of the two arms of the elbow, the side wall of this elbow having an opening closed by a cap 33. A like elbow is disposed at the opening 22 at the other endof the casing 10, these elbows being disposed so as to guide the cable 21 laterally. The cable 21 may pass through pipes 34 through the base of the post 26 and there the cable passes through other elbows 31 formed with pulleys and then extends up ward as before described and over the band wheel 30. It is obvious that the cable 21 may take any desired path by proper ar rangement of the pulleys and that the cable may be entirely inclosed in pipe sections so as to be protected from water and also from intermeddling. Preferably the band wheel 30 is inclosed in a housing. (Not shown.)

In order to carry out the purpose of my invention, it is necessary to mount upon the train and preferably upon the locomotive C, a vent valve whose casing is designated generally 36. This vent valve casing is mounted upon the engine in any suitable manner preferably adjacent to or rearward of the pilot. This valve casing 36 may be formed of two sections approximately semicircular in form and adapted to abut against each other. The bottom wall 37 of the easing is formed with a slot 38 and each side wall of the casing is formed with a port 39, one of said ports being defined by an an nular flange 10. Operating across the port 39 is a valve 4C1 carried upon the extremity of a lever 12 which is pivoted at 13 and ex tends downward through the slot 38. There is an extension 4% beyond the valve 41 which bears upon an arcuate rib or flange 45 formed upon each one of the side walls of the casing, these arouate flanges taking the wear incident to the oscillations of the valve and preventing wear of the valve seats. It will be seen that this valve is adapted to be shifted in .either direction away from the vent ports 39, but when the valve is in its middle position, it closes these vent ports. One of the vent ports is connected to the open air, while the other is connected by means of a pipe 43 to the train pipe at of the air brake system. It is not believed necessary to show in the drawings thecomplete air brake system as this is well known and thoroughly understood and it will, of course, be obvious that when the valve llris shifted from its seat, the pressure in the train pipe will be vented and reduced so as to cause an application of the brakes in the usual manner.

The arm or lever 42 is disposed so that when'the member 13 is projected, this member 13 or its cross bar or head 141 will be disposed in the path of movement of the lever 42.

The operation of my invention will be obvious from the above. Under normal cir cumstances and when the semaphore signal is at safety, the slide 18 will be at the lower end of the guides 17 and the rod member 13 will be depressed so as to be out of the path of movement of the lever 42. 1f

for any reason the semaphore arm should drop, due for instance to a ground in the conductors supplying the motor ordue to any break in the mechanism, the band wheel 30 will immediately be rotated to a sufficient degree to draw the slide 18 upward along the track 17 and this upward movement of the slide will shift the member 13 upward into a projected position, in which position it will strike the lever 42 of train moving by the signal and will immediately vent the train pipe and apply the brakes. It will be seen that this device is entirely automatic in its action and that it operates in consonance with the operation of the semaphore arm so that whenever the semaphore arm drops to a danger position, the train stop will be automatically set to stop the train. When the signal arm or semaphore shifts to a cautionary position it will merely shift the member 18 upward a certain degree but not enough for it to engage the lever 42. The device is easily adapted to all semaphores or signal equipment in use on the railways today and it may be installed without changing this electrical equipment. As there are no springs acting upon the slide or other parts, it is obvious that the device will operate positively and as the parts move in oil there will be very little friction, nor will the parts become easily corroded.

WVhile I have illustrated a practical form of my apparatus and one which I believe to be particularly effective it is obvious that various minor changes might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and that various changes might be made in order to adapt the mechanism to different exigencies of operation.

It is pointed out that with a vent valve constructed in the manner illustrated, the

vent valve operating member 13 will engage with the arm or lever 42 to shift it, whether the train or engine be backing or moving forward. The arm or lever 42 may be shifted by hand back to its original position by means of a reach rod attached to the lever and extending to the cab of the engine, means being provided for holding the handle end of the reach rod in a normal. position but permitting it to shift in either direction when the arm or lever 42 strikes the operating plunger on the track.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an automatic train stop system, a casing mounted in conjunction with a rail way track, said casing having downwardly inclined tracks on its side walls, a slide movable along said inclined tracks, a vertically disposed vent valve actuating member slidably mounted in the top of the casing and slidably engaging the upper face of the slide,

'fing box, a slide mounted in and operative connections to the slide whereby the slide may be moved in opposite directions.

2. In an automatic train stop system, a casing mounted in conjunction with a railway track, the top of the casing havin a stufling box, a vertically movable vent va ve actuating member slidable through the stufsaid casing, the casing having upwardly inclined tracks on which said slide moves, the slide engaging the lower end of the actuating member, and operative connections to the slide.

3. In an automatic train stop system, a casing mounted in conjunction with a railway track, said casing having downwardly inclined guide tracks, a slide mounted on said guide tracks, the upper face of the slide being formed with a longitudinally eX- tending T-shaped groove, a vent valve actuating member slidably mounted in the top of the casing for vertical movement and having a head at its lower end engaging said T- shaped groove, operative connections to the slide to cause a positive movement of the slide in one direction or the other in consonance with the movement of the semae phore.

4. An operating device for the vent valves of air brakes having a casing, downwardly inclined tracks upon the lateral walls of the casing, a slide having an inclined lower face positively engaging said tracks for sliding movement longitudinally of the casing, and a vent valve actuating member extending vertically out of the casing and slidable in a vertical plane and having positive sliding engagement at its lower end with the upper face of the slide.

5. In an automatic train stop system, a casing mounted in conjunction with a rail way track and having side walls formed with downwardly inclined grooves forming guide tracks, a triangular slide having a horizontal upper face and an inclined lower face, the lower face being provided with laterally disposed flanges engaging said guide tracks, the upper face of the slide being formed with a longitudinal T-shaped groove, a vent valve actuating member slidably mounted in the top of the casing for vertical movement and having a T-shaped head at its lower end engaging said T-shaped groove and the slide, and operative connections to the slide for shifting it in opposite directions to thereby raise or lower said valve actuating member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. VE EN'ILING.

Witnesses:

F. B. WRIGHT, M. R. WILSON.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

